BubbleStream

Robert A Taylor

Hope

Synopsis

What if you could have fame, fortune or love - but each was mutually exclusive? Johnny Crane is a young Texan living in New York City in the 1990's, trying to break into the worlds of publishing and acting and trying to navigate the world of love without breaking his heart. But his walls are papered with rejection, and his loneliness is only eased by his best friend, a fellow Texan in the big city. He floats at the edge of success, but finds himself unable to land. When he is tempted with the culmination of each of his dreams, he sees no way to combine them. Can he hope to find a way, or must he choose?

Author Biography

The founder of Today In Alternate History, a daily blog of "important events in history that never occurred." Lauded by USA Today, which said, "We're working on arrangements to relocate ourselves... inside Robbie Taylor's head, which seems like a most fascinating place."

Author Insight

Angie

This is the point where Johnny's best friend calls him after what will be his last performance in a disastrously bad play, and we see the honesty that their relationship is built on.

Book Excerpt

Hope

"So, how'd it go?" The soft voice belonged to
Angie, who knew his writing schedule and didn't care.

He didn't, either. "Oh, Jesus God, Ang, it
was Theater of the Damned. I can't believe I took that job." The
need to be comforted often overcame his discipline.

"Everybody's got to pay rent, hon. It was
that or be a waiter."

"That would've been better than this show.
Good lord, I feel like I should commit hari-kiri as an apology to
the audience."

"Wouldn't it be better if the author did
that?" Angie held the same opinion of the playwright that Johnny
did.

"In a perfect world, of course, that would be
the optimal solution, but you know -- "

"We do not live in a perfect world," she
finished for him. She knew all his favorite sayings by heart, which
annoyed him, because he felt that he should be thinking up new ones
to astound the masses. "You want me to come over?" She knew she
couldn't ask him to break his schedule; that would make him feel
guilty for months after.

"I'll be incredibly depressing," he warned
her.

"Ah, you're always depressing. It's part of
your charm." She waited a minute for a reply. "Well?"

"Yeah, c'mon ahead. And, bring alcohol." He
paused for a second, then asked, "Hey, if you had just had some sex
in bondage, would you want to be untied right away, or do you think
you'd just go to sleep right after?"

"I'll think about it and let you know." She
blew him a kiss down the line. "See ya in a bit. Love you."